Long Island Residents Warned of IRS Telephone Scam

The Suffolk County Police Department is warning residents of a telephone scam during which scammers pretend to be Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees looking for unpaid taxes.

During a recent incident in Suffolk County, a resident received four calls during the course of two days with a recorded message, purported to be from the IRS, asking the resident contact a number provided on the message. Upon calling the number, the resident was connected to a man who stated that the caller was the subject of a lawsuit for failing to pay taxes and certain personal identifying information was needed to stop the lawsuit from going forward. Additionally, the man stated a fee needed to be paid to stop the lawsuit.

Police advise the public that these are scam tactics.

The IRS will never:
• Call to demand immediate payment, nor call about taxes owed without first having mailed a bill.
• Demand that taxes be paid without giving a taxpayer the opportunity to question or appeal the amount owed.
• Require you to use a specific payment method, such as a prepaid debit card.
• Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
• Threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement enact an arrest for non-payment.

The Suffolk County Police Department advises residents not to give out any personal information during the call. Those who feel they have been a victim of this scam should report the incident to police.